Blame it on Ember
by CrossYaHeart
Summary: NYU student and entertainment blog owner, Ember Sparks, is an aspiring journalist with a story that could expose the illegal practices of Hollywood Records. This thriller is the fight to save her story, her life, and her relationship with the band.
1. Chapter 1

Tourists. The train was crowded that morning. I was in my usual seat, going to meet Nika for brunch in Midtwon. TThe day before, NYU blog assignments were handed out. I'm only a junior, but I fully expected to get the Style section. All my backstage pictures from Fashion Week! Isabella stole my section. I've been downgraded to Entertainment! Again. I'm sick of covering pops stars. If I go to one more Big Time Rush concert I will jump out my window. There's no struggle there. No adventure.

These thoughts flew out of my head as an elderly couple boarded the train. I looked around and no one stood up. I rolled my eyes then smiled at the pair.

"Feel free." I gestured to my seat and stood up.

"Oh, thank you, sweetheart." The old woman said. She smiled at me and I turned to find a seat. I saw three at the back of the car. I picked the first one and nodded to the boy in the seat.

"Scoot over, gorgeous." I smiled. He pulled out an earbud and said,

"What?" I laughed and repeated,

"Scoot over, darlin'." He smiled and said,

"Alright, baby girl." I sat next to him and they guy in the seat behind us said,

"Wow, Michael. 'Gorgeous' and 'darling.' Must be that southern hospitality." I jumped at the sound of his vioce because I assumed he was asleep. I turned to face him.

"Midwestern. The accent is northern Arkansas. It's midwestern friendly." I snapped. I turned to the boy in my seat. "Michael? I'm Ember. Nice to meet you." He took my outstretched hand.

"Amber?"

"No, Ember. With an E. Ember Sparks."

"That has to be the coolest name ever." Michael said.

"Thank you." I replied. "You can put your earbuds back in now, I'm off in a couple stops." H e chuckled and said,

"Alright. Nice to meet you baby girl." He put his earbud back in, stared out the window, and bobbed his head.

"Why are you in New York?" The voice behind me asked. I turned to face him again and said,

"Majoring in journalism at NYU."

"Do you miss home?"

"I miss the people."

"Not the place?"

"I miss the way we interact with eachother." I smiled snarkily. "Midwestern friendly."

"West coast is the best coast." A voice said from the seat across the aisle.

"Oh, dear Lord, there are three of you!" I gasped. Looking at the boy behind me, I began to put his facial features together. His face was long, his nose long and thin. All of him looked thin, but not unattractive. Contrarily, he was quite good-looking. His hair was a mess, which emphasized the too-familiar boy band look.

"You're from California."

"Maine, technically." He replied.

"Oh, no. It wasn't a question. I know you're from California. It's southern California. Los Angeles?"

"San Diego." he replied.

"Still SoCal."

"Do you always talk this much so early in the morning?" He asked.

"Only if there's someone to talk to."

"Zach."

"What?"

"My name is Zach." he yawned.

"Are you always tired this early in the morning?"

"I'm never awake this early."

"Well, you should work on that." I said lamely. "This stop is mine ..."

"Nice meeting you."

"Ember." I yelled over my shoulder as I walked off the train. Nika was waiting for me on the platform.

"Entertainment? Really?" She asked. I nodded.

We ate brunch at Caffe Cielo. I drowned my four pancakes in syrup and dug in.

"Ember. Slow down. You're going to have to buy bigger patns if you eat like that. You've got the Demi body, now keep it."

"Please. I have better abs. But Nik ... Isabella has no style! She doesn't even own a peplum top. I mean, she wears t-shirts and jeans! That's not style, that's comfort! Fashion is art! And it's my art! Not her's." Halfway through my stack of pancakes I added, "I sat by a boy on the train this monring."

"You never know. Entertainment could be fun. You like music. A guy, now? Do tell."

"He had the most gorgeous eyes. Like ... almonds. Almond-shaped. Dark brown. Dark skin, too. He's Asian. So cute! I mean, I'm not really attracted to him, but he's gorgeous." Nika smiled.

"What's his name?"

"Michael." I said as I stood up to get a second plate. I sat down with a danish, bacon, and hashbrowns.

"Adorable, I'm sure." Nika nodded. "Seriously, girl, one more plate and you're done."

"What are you, my trainer?" I snapped.

"Ember, I'm your friend. And I'm telling you there's a difference between binging and brunch."

"Right now, I don't care."

"I don't want to find you in the bathroom half an hour after we leave." I glared at her.

"Don't -"

"I won't if you won't."

"Fine." I threw my fork on my plate.

"Stop being melodramatic, Ember."

"I can be melodramatic. I lost my blog spot. Thank goodness Dahlia agreed to do TV. But I'm sick of modern music. Unless you give me a time machine, I'm going to hate this semester."

"A spot on the blog is a spot on the blog. Just find a subject and stick with it. " She looked up. "Dahlia's here."

"Entertainment, Ember! We're going to have so much fun. You don't need the style section." I rolled my eyes as Dahlia sat in the chair beside me.

"I need the style section. Fashion. It's mine! Isabella can't tell you the difference between McQueen lines. I shop for Chanel like Taylor Momsen raids Mac for black eyeshadow. Isabella is the antithesis of fashion. You know she took it to piss me off." I stood up. "More food."

"Ember." Nika said.

"I'll run it off later." I glared. "I need to go to Dance Skins anyway." Only Nika could ruin brunch at Caffe Cielo.

"Fine, but really. You'll be fine. Just ... we'll figure something out." I nodded and walked to the buffet.

We walked out of Sasha's Dance Skins, bags in tow. Walking and talking for twenty minutes. Nika and Dahlia coulnt have been more different. Nika had long blond hair that reached the middle of her back. Like me, black eyeshadow circled her eyes, almost shrinking them. Dahlia's hair, almost black, curled past her shoulders. She wore almost no makeup. Dahlia was a bookworm, Nika the aspiring publicist. But they had one very important quality: willingness to be my minions.

Times like this, walking down the street, shopping, we were friends. The best of sorts. As soon as we spotted Isabella, everything changed. The attitude went from zero to eighty.

"Whos' the boy she's hanging all over?" Nika asked.

"I don't know but you'd think she'd make it less obvious. Why are there so many girls over there? They're screaming ... it's not a band is it?"

"Wait ... Dahlia said. She took a few steps closer and shrieked, "Oh my God!"

"What?" Nika asked.

"It's a Allstar Weekend! I didn't even know they'd be in town. Are they recording?"

"So the one she's talking to ... he's part of the band?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's-"

"Watch and learn." I cut Dahlia offf. I planned to flirt with this guy to make Isabella jealous. Steal him like she stole the style blog. My boots clicked on the street with every step. I said,

"Hi, Isabella." A hint of snark in my tone.

"Ember?" She turned to me, confused. I looked at her t-shirt and did a double-take.

"That looks like-"

"Ember?" The boy asked. I looked up at him, then back to Isabella's t-shirt.

"Zach?" I asked, confused. "You're in this band?"

"Yeah." Zach nodded. I felt Dahlia and Nika come up behind me.

"Wait ... you know eachother?" Isabella aseked.

"I walked out on him while he was sleeping." I joked. Stunned, Isabella watched as I yelled over the small hoard of girls on the sidewalk.

"Hey, gorgeous, fancy seeing you here!" Michael turned toward me and smiled.

"Alright, girl! Long time no see." He waded through the crowd to give my shoulders a squeeze.

"I didn't know you were in a band." I said.

"Drums." He nodded.

"Should've known." I smiled.

"How do you ...?" Isabella asked.

"Fate, really." I scrunched my nose and smiled.

"Zach! Michael! These girls want a picture!" Someone yelled. A guy walked over to our small group. The first thing I saw was his awful printed shirt. I saw his face and was ... confused. I immediately found him attractive, though at the same time not so. He looked at me with an intensity I wasn't prepared for. I couldn't help but stare back.

"Right. There are three of you. West coast is the best coast." I said, my eyes not moving. I stuck out my hand. "Ember." He looked at my hand, confused. Once his eyes were off mine I regained my composure. He shook my hand and said,

"Cameron. " He turned to Zach and Michael and said, "Pictures." They walked back over to the crowd of girls and I stood, confused.

"Did he just ..." I said.

"You just ..." Isabella trailed off.

"That's eye sex, Ember." Dahlia said. "Cam's the best." She said, pointedly.

"You know them?"!" I pounced on her.

"Of course. They were with Holywood."

"Everything I need to know. Now." I demanded.

"Zach sings. Michael's on drums. Cam plays bass. Known for posting funny videos on their Youtube channel. Left Hollywood Records in January. Two tours since then. Released their EP, 'The American Dream,' in July. They have over one million fans on Facebook-"

"Stop it!" Isabella said. "You cannot conmpress an entire fandom into a paragraph."

"Watch her." I snapped. "Unless you want to walk your converse-clad feet down to the entertainment section where-" I scanned her outfit, raised my eyebrows, and smiled. "You would do oh so well."

"I took the style section to prove there is more to street style than Saks and Alexander McKing!"

"McQueen!" I yelled. "McQueen. Dolce and Gabana, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Nik-"

"Yes?" Nika said.

"I'm going to need a banner for my blog."

"I'm on it." Nika pulled her cell phone from her pocket. I glanced at the three heads sightly taller than the screaming girls surrounding them. "Do you want 'Road to a Million' or-"

"No Cookies for Us." Dahlia chipped in.

"What?" Nika asked.

"Is that relevant?" I wondered out loud.

"Oh my God!" Isabella shrieked "You know nothing! You seriously know nothing. What are you even ..." She stepped closer to me, our noses almost touching. "You can mess with me. Screw up the entertainment blog. Do not fuck with my band." She glared.

"Do not threaten me. The only people I'm interested in screwing are you ... and Zach." I said.

"Is nothing sacred to you?" Isabella asked. I glared at her and said,

"Alexander mcQueen." She stomred away and Dahlia said,

"The Girl Scouts cancelled their scheduled performance next weekend because their video was kind of raunchy. And I guess immoral."

"Too Cool for Cookies." I smiled. "Average age of their fan base?"

"Anywhere from six to twenty-three." Dahlia said. Nika talked to someone on her cell phone, working out banner details.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow.

'You know, I think if you're gonna do this, you should get the band's perception of themselves. That's a new take." Dahlia pointed out.

"Hey, Zach!" I yelled. He rushed back over.

"Yeah?"

" I run an NYU entertainment blog, and I'd like to feature your band. Is that okay?"

"Yeah ... yeah, that's great! Um, I'll get you some tickets to the show. You'll have to talk to our manager, Steph-"

"Nika's got it covered." I said. "Go back to your fans." I smiled.

"You'll be one soon." Zach challenged as he walked away.

I sat in chaiar across from Zach, Michael, and Cameron. I felt at home. This was the place to be devious and analytical. Home. Notebook on my lap, pen in hand, I set to work.

"Why 'Allstar weekend?'" I asked. The boys sighed and rolled their eyes simultaneously. "What? I'll ask Dahlia then." I muttered.

"The Smashmouth song 'Allstar.' 'Weekend' was added after we had copyright .. issues." Zach said. I scribbled it in my notebook.

"What did it feel like when you finally hit one million fans on Facebook?"

"It was surreal. Knowing that many people like our music."

"Yeah, it was great." Cameron said. Michael nodded.

"Are you okay with the Girl Scouts cancelling on you?" I asked.

"We accept that it's their decision. They found something they didn't like in our music video. It's their event so-"

"Zach, don't give me shit." He sat in stunned silence. "You're pissed. You should be pissed. But don't lie to me."

"It sucks they cancelled on us." Michale interjected. "But they claim our video was immoral, which it's not. It's amoral. There's nothing wrong with our video. We made it clear thses aren't things we do. It's what we see other people doing."

"It's perfectly okay to make out with a topless girl in a hotel shower." I laughed. Cameron rolled his eyes.

"Your bodily respect is so uplifting, Ember." He said.

"There is nothing wrong with caving to social norms, Cameron." I said calmly. "If there's physical attraction-" I stopped. He was staring at me again. God, his eyes were such an odd shade of green. I couldn't look away. I heard him say,

"So you don't mind being someone else's leftovers?

"I don't think of it that way." I replied. We sat in unblinking silence.

"Women have a certain fascination when they're untouched. You've lost that."

"I am plenty fascinating without my virginity, Cameron." I said. "If it's love then why bother being legally bound to eachother?"

"If it was love you'd still be together." Cameron replied.

"How do you know we're not?" I asked. Cameron narrowed his eyes.

"Are you?"

"It doesn't pertain to you, really." I snapped. Something was happening to my composure. I hated it when he stared at me. My stomach flipped a little. He was looking right through my facade, down to my core. It was shaky. I was shaky. My hand stayed steady, but I felt my heart shake. That was ridiculous, though. He was not attractive. Not even the biceps stretching the seams of his shirt sleeves could make me think he was more than average. I finally tore my eyes away from Cameron's and looked at Michael. He was looking into the distance, his lips pressed together to suppress laughter. The corners of his mouth twitched up as he said,

"This is some crazy birds and bees shit." He smiled, his cheeks wavered, but somehow he managed not to laugh. I turned back to Cameron.

"So are you a virgin, then?" He quickly looked at the floor and I started laughing.

"Ember, don't ..." Zach said.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry it's just ..." I paused to lookat Cameron. "Oh, God. This is really touchy, isn't it?" When no one answered I said, "Right. Not usually the thing you get asked during interview number one. Here's the thing. I had this section last year. I intervieweed twenty or so bands. You're not unattractive so ... I just don't ... you're the first boy band virgin I've met."

"Is that a compliment?" He asked drily.

"I think so." I said. "You're a rare breed, Cameron Quiseng." I sighed. "Since this is interview number one, I'm going to guess you'll tell me you love what you do, love visiting New York, are working on your next album, and are best friends. The same boy band shit I get all the time. So can I ask you one thing?"

"Sure." Zach said.

"Why music?"

"I think we just ... have things that need to be on paper. Things I have to turn into a song."

"Yeah, there's just a lot of experience we don't know what to do with. And now ... we dont' really know what we'd do without music." Cameron said.

"We like where we're at. And for as long as music keeps us in a place we like, we'll keep making it." Michael said.

"Well ..." I closed my notebook. "Thank you for a very ... interesting interview. I'll catch up wit you guys over Thanksgiving?"

"Aren't you spending time with your family?" Cameron asked. I felt my face darken.

"Home is where the heart is. My family is composed of paper and pens. I spend every second I possibly can with my family." I said as I walked out from backsatge.

***Too Cool for Cookies* **

_Allstar Weekend are a group searching for a genre. Not raunchy enough for mainstream pop, yet too much for Disney Channel to handle. The band parted ways with Hollywood Records last January and have been on their own since then. Zach (lead vocals), Michael (drums), and Cameron (bass) have a small, niche fan base ranging from their native SoCal to New England, with small fan bases on nearly every continent. _

_A quick listen to their first album, "Suddenly Yours," screams Disney Channel. It's bubblegum pop at its peak. The album is filled with synthesized dance beats their fans love. Their second studio album, "All the Way," is a subtle tale of sexual identity. The slower tracks talk of love, while the upbeat tracks cleverly talk sex. They recently released an EP, "The American Dream." The songs hardly seem to belong on the same album, but each one has something special about it. Check out their song _The Last Time_. I have no doubt you will eventually hear it on the radio. _

_Throughout the past year I have interviewed several bands. Boy bands, country bands, rock bands, and artists from nearly every genre. Some are scary, some are endearing, but Allstar Weekend are downright unique. These three guys are legitimate friends. The chemistry between them is undeniable. An unlikely group of high school friends turned mainstream pop outsiders. Onstage and off, these boys are entirely themselves. _

_More impressive than their chemistry with eachother is their chemistry with the fans. Their fanbase is small. They have spent years connecting with the same people, watching as their fanbase slowly expands. New fans are welcomed with open arms-literally! If you ever meet the band, be warned, they're huggers! _

_The biggest misconception surrounding this band: "Aren't they a Disney band?" No, my friend. Quite the opposite. Allstar Weekend write what they want now. They say what they choose and make absolute fools of themselves onstage every night with their new songs, "Orangutan" and "Cat City," which I highly recommend illegally downloading because they are fabulous. _

_This year, I'm taking the entertainment blog in a different direction. One direction, actually. One, single direction. I'm going to journey this semester with Allstar Weekend. You will get a firsthand look at the struggle of a band in the era of pop culture obsessed with sex and synth. Allstar Weekend won't take you back to the 80's, but they will take you on a ride. Not only are they looking for a label, they're looking for a place to fit in. A genre. Somewhere to make their mark. _

_I hope you join us on this journey. In the words of Pop-Tarts, "IT'S CRAAAAZY GOOD!" _


	2. Chapter 2

I flew to Los Angeles the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The blog updates received a large amount of attention. They were the Disney band gone rogue. Not just my readers, but everyone wanted to know what their music would be without an HR censor. I desperately needed another interview.

I also needed to apologize to Cameron. He took what I said the wrong way. I simply don't understand how a romantic bass player with that body hasn't had sex. I applaud him for holding out so long. I think he's waiting for someone who loves him both in and out of Allstar Weekend. I was not sure, though. I couldn't figure him out.

Nika and I have condos next to eachother on Venice Beach. She likes the beach and I like my minions happy. My grandfather was the CEO of Bain, and my father is an executive at Bain Capital. Even with all the bad press, they still do good business. We have an unspoken agreement: I don't talk to him, I get what I want.

I met the guys at a coffee house in San Diego. Zach was obviously new to coffee. He was buzzed, which took our conversation in some awkward directions.

"Are most of the songs on the new record about love?" I asked.

"Of course!" Zach said. "It's easy to write about. Falling in love. Falling out of love. Making love. Baking cookies with love …"

"So you love a lot?" I asked jokingly.

"Absolutely. I love all of humanity." He paused for another sip of coffee. "Except Dillon." I laughed.

"Are you surprised your fans have accepted Brent and Dillon so well? I know they're not 'official me' members, but they seem to be popular."

"Our fans really are the best." Cameron said. He had almost warmed up to me. "They're accepting of all aspects of our personalities," or so I'd thought, "And anyone we'd put into the band. We're not going to take a leap of faith on someone unless they gel really well. So it's not really shocking—"

"Cameron's right." Zach butted in.

"—that they like Dillon and Brent."

"Mhmm …" I muttered, writing it down in my notebook. My pencil ran out of lead. As I scrambled to find more in my briefcase I said, "I have the official response, but off the record, why did you leave Hollywood Records?"

"That was more of a management decision." Zach said.

"Whoa, bro!" Michael looked at Zach. "Now who said you could tell her that?"

"Sorry." Zach muttered.

"What management decided was for the best. Our fans are special to us—"Cameron said.

"Very special." Zach added.

"We like the ladies." Michael chimed in.

"—and we didn't want to give them an album that wasn't us. Two totally different creative directions." Cam finished.

"And I'm almost 23. I can't keep writing like I'm 16." Zach added. I filled my pencil with lead from the bottom of my briefcase.

"Was your contract up for renewal?" I asked.

"Yeah." Michael said.

"But we had to fight to get the catalogue back." Zach said. "But I sure as hell wasn't going to let them keep my songs."

"So you are proud of what you've done so far?"

"For the most part."

"And what you don't like, you don't play?"

"Exactly." Zach said.

"So Demi Lovato is the inspirational rocker. The Jonas Brothers are gorgeous pop stars with an inspiring story. Selena Gomez started on TV. Miley Cyrus started as Hannah Montana. What hooked your fans? Why did they choose to hang onto you?" I asked.

"Off the record," Michael said, "My good looks. But for print, yeah, I don't know, we seem to attract a lot of girls—"

"Women." Cameron said.

"—who are trying to find a way to simultaneously break the mold and be accepted. That's what we do with our music, so it's relatable."

"I also think it's because we don't conform to anyone's standards. We're just us." Zach said.

"It's Michael's good looks." Cameron smiled. I laughed.

"Y'all are too much sometimes." I said.

We spent another half hour talking about music, their fans, and everything I could think of. The interview ended and I gave the boys my address.

"We'll meet in a couple days so I can show you the full spread before it's published." They stood to leave and as they walked away I said, "Cameron!" He turned around. "I'm sorry for what I said, I just didn't—" He turned his back to me and continued walking.

Cameron hated me. Message received. I thought about Cameron as I finalized my story at the condo. He's too sensitive for the industry if my being stunned at his virginity affected him this much. Zach and Michael were quick to defend him. They're good friends, I could see. He surrounded himself with good people.

Something Zach said tugged at the back of my mind. I could not figure out why it was hard for them to get their catalogue back. I dialed Nika's number.

"Hey, Ember."

"Nick! I need a copy of Allstar weekend's contract with Hollywood Records."

"I can't get that, Ember. It's confidential."

"Do it, Nik." I demanded. "I need the Jonas Brothers' contract as well."

"They don't usually keep nullified contracts, but I'll look into it. The brothers bought the catalogue back with their own money, Ember. What are you up to?"

"Honestly, I think there's a big thing here. They guys mentioned a fight for their catalogue. I'm thinking Hollywood Records might be taking advantage of their new artists. Putting loopholes into their contracts."

"I'll see what I can find, Ember. But I can't make any promises. I can tell you that it's very plausible what they don't cover in their contracts are the subsidiary companies."

"Subsidiary distribution companies?"

"Exactly. So their child companies in Japan, Indonesia, France, etc … they operate under a separate contract. So as long as Hollywood Records retain the rights to the songs, they get one hundred percent of the profits from songs played in those countries." Nika said.

"The artists see none of that money?" I asked.

"None."

"Get me a source to back that up." I said. "I know there is a law against monopolizing an industry, but is there a law against monopolizing someone's career?"

"You can't legislate that sort of thing. Once you're signed to a label, you and your material are company property."

"Interesting …" I trailed off. "Do you think they could do that with every artist?"

"Absolutely. All their artists come to them with blind excitement. Signing a record deal sounds amazing, but only if you sign the right one."

"Let me get this straight." I paused. "Allstar Weekend made two records with Hollywood Records."

"Yes."

"The songs on those records were given to distribution companies in different countries around the world."

"Yes."

"After they left Hollywood Records, their songs were still getting airplay in these other countries?"

"Yes."

"And they saw no money from that?"

"Correct."

"Hollywood Records got one-hundred percent of that profit?"

"Yes."

"While Allstar Weekend were fighting to fund another album and tour on their own?"

"You've got it." Nika said.

"Can you get me sources to back that up?" I asked. "I want to make sure the argument is factual before I decide to frame a story around it."

"That's how the music industry works, Ember. There isn't anything in it for a record company if they can't exploit talent."

"I don't know about that, Nik. Just find me sources to back all this up."

"Done."

"And Nik?"

"Yeah?"

"Do it quietly."

"Of course."

"You're the best."

"Don't I know it." Nika joked.

"Don't tell Dahlia." I laughed. "Bye, Nik."

My mind wandered aimlessly after the discussion with Nika. _Could Hollywood Records be exploiting artists? How big of an impact would a story like this have? _The doorbell rang, but these thoughts continued to race through my head. I opened the door and,

"Cameron?" I said. His eyes fixed on mine and my grip tightened on the doorknob. Using the door frame to hold myself steady, I asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to accept your apology." Cameron said, shyly.

"Oh."

"Yeah, uh, thanks." He nervously glanced over my shoulder into the apartment.

"Oh, would you like to come in?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks." I gestured for him to come inside and shut the door behind him.

"Sit." I said, pointing to the couch.

"So, I—" he started.

"Stop talking, Cameron." I demanded. "I'm happy you accepted my apology, but can I explain why I was so … stunned?"

"You said it was because I'm the first …" He paused uncomfortably.

"Well, yes." I agreed. "But also because you're a good guy. You're sweet, a musician, and if I may say so, rather attractive." He blushed. "Considering the guys out there who have had sex with decent women, it's simply shocking that you haven't."

"So it is a compliment, then?" Cameron asked.

"Absolutely." I replied.

"Do you have any family?" he asked. My expression darkened.

"That's a personal question."

"I just wanted to know if you'd like to, um, spend Thanksgiving with us?" Cameron offered. I smiled sadly.

"There are a lot of things that factor into what I'm about to tell you, Cameron. But I didn't grow up in a family-oriented environment. I don't have a good relationship with my family, and my guess is you do?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, then, I'm sure you're going to spend the morning watching the parade. Then eat loads of food and watch football like the average American family."

"Pretty much." Cam smiled.

"Well I don't do that." I said abruptly. "I'm going to stay here and finalize your spread for the blog. I'm a career woman, Cameron. Family means nothing to me."

"That's not true." Cameron said. "Everyone's got a family. In some form, anyway."

"Not me." I said.

"Well I'm offering you one." Cameron said.

"I can't take you up on that." I replied. "I wish I could, but really. It's your family, Cam. Not mine. Go have fun. This is what I like to do." I motioned to my laptop and my notebook. "I write. I blog. I do this. It's what I love."

"Fine." Cameron said, defeated. "But only if you promise to tell me everything next time I see you."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I care about you."

"That's the problem with you! You care about everyone."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"I'm glad you don't think so."

"Ember, you're a crazy girl."

"Like sparks fly." I smiled. Cameron thought shortly before laughing. "Glad you caught it." I giggled. "So you want to know my life story, then?"

"Next time, Ember Sparks." Cameron said. I walked to the door, opened it, and waited for him to leave. He approached the door, turned, and gave me a hug.

Many men had hugged me. I had been in a few relationships. Intimacy was not new to me, but Cameron's hug was different. I wrapped my arms around him and he held me. I felt safe in his arms. I felt like the only person in the world that mattered. Everyone else was at a loss because they were not in Cameron's arms. Initially I was shocked. I realized in that moment he did care for me. Not in a romantic way, but he wanted me to be alright. I could tell he wanted to erase my past for me.

When he dropped his arms, I could feel my face drop a little.

"Are you alright?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah, yeah, of course!" I said quickly. "I just, um … you should go. You should go now, I'll see you in two days, okay?"

"Bye, Ember." He smiled and walked out my door. I stood, back to the door frame, and tried to steady my breathing.

_What just happened?_ I thought. _I am not falling for Cameron Quiseng. I will not fall into any sort of relationship with Cameron. _I tried to convince myself throughout the following days that Cameron was only being nice. No way did he care about me, nor my past, nor would he care about me in the future. I was their ticket to fame.

_I wouldn't mind if it was something more._ I thought. _And that's what scares me._


End file.
